Malaria-I

Malaria is a disease which is caused by the bite of a female anopheles mosquito, thus injecting the parasite into human blood. It is non-communicable. This tropical disease has presence in countries of Africa (esp. sub-Saharan region), south and Central America, Asia and mid-east.
Types
Plasmodium falciparum (malignant form, found in Africa, causes severe symptoms and most fatalities))
Plasmodium ovale (benign, found in Africa, can stay in blood for several years without any symptoms)
Plasmodium malariae (benign, is rare and found in West Africa))
Plasmodium vivax (benign, found in Asia, symptoms are less severe, can stay in the liver for upto 3 years and can cause relapse of condition))
Although all types of Malaria are considered to be dangerous but, plasmodium falciparum is fatal. In certain cases, it might take approximately a year or more for symptoms of plasmodium vivax and ovale to manifest themselves, where as the plasmodium falciparum is capable of showing up the signs within 3 months.

Symptoms

The lead time for symptoms of malaria to appear depends on the type of the infecting parasite. Generally, it would take approximately take10-30 days after being bitten by the mosquito.
Symptoms of benign malaria are similar to that of flu and majorly include

• High body temperature
• Shivering
• General feeling of being unwell
• Muscular pains
• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• These last for a few days if treated timely and properly, however, the chances are that they can also extend to several weeks if left untreated or unattended.
• Symptoms of malignant malaria (caused by plasmodium falciparum) are quite similar to that of benign to start with, but it can further lead to complicated conditions like fits, liver failure, breathing troubles. It can actually get quite fatal if complications affect the brain and nervous system of the body.

Causes

Malaria is caused by parasite called plasmodium. The 4 types of plasmodium which are responsible for affecting the humans have already been described above.
The parasite enters human body through the bite of its carrier called female anopheles mosquito. It is further spread by these female mosquitoes when they bite other humans. Once inside the bloodstream, the plasmodium parasite travels to the liver and invades the red blood cells. The infected RBC’s burst and release more of the infection causing parasites into the bloodstream. The infected cells burst every two to three days showing symptoms of fever, sweating and chills.
Malaria has the capability of affecting pregnant women more than normal as the immune system is quite weak during pregnancy. There is great possibility that the malaria infection can even pass on to the unborn child.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing of Malaria can be done through the testing of the blood. Blood sample is mixed with a special kind of solution and the resulting mixture is then observed under the microscope for presence of any kind of parasite and also its type.